Reverend Doctor D Blog

On January 12, 2010, the poorest nation in the Western hemisphere, Haiti and its nine million inhabitants were forever scarred as a 7-magnitude earthquake devastated this tiny country. In the wake of this devastation, over a million were left homeless, 230,000 people died and more than 300,000 were left permanently injured. At first, donations flowed, but more than two years later, with resources scarce at best, untold thousands still wait in dire need, having suffered devastating injury and loss…

On January 12, 2010, the poorest nation in the Western hemisphere, Haiti and its nine million inhabitants were forever scarred as a 7-magnitude earthquake devastated this tiny country. In the wake of this devastation, over a million were left homeless, 230,000 people died and more than 300,000 were left permanently injured. At first, donations flowed, but more than two years later, with resources scarce at best, untold thousands still wait in dire need, having suffered devastating injury and loss…

Today is the Cinco De Mayo celebration, which commemorates the victory of the Mexican militia over the French army at The Battle Of Puebla in 1862. Mexican President Benito Juarez stopped making interest payments to countries Mexico owed money to. They were being soaked, and he wanted no part. Enter, the French army, among others. They swarmed the country, and for a while, it looked like they might be successful at occupation.

The Mexican forces, under the leadership of Zaragoza Seguin, were able the drive…

Caring for injured kids always makes me think of my own children. I relate to what must be going on in the parents’ minds, their worries, and their greatest fears.

I manage many children in my practice, injuries ranging from monkey bar mishaps to terrible things like motor vehicle accidents. Children are far easier to connect with than adults. They look up at me, wide-eyed. I can almost read their minds. “Who’s that giant dressed up like a doctor? Where’s the beanstalk? I smile at them. They smile back.…

Every day, psychotic patients present to Emergency Rooms, desperate to be stopped before they wreak havoc. They hear voices or “command auditory hallucinations”, telling them to harm themselves or others, see things aren’t there – terrifying, threatening apparitions. They are treated with antipsychotic medications, tranquilizers, and other stabilizing chemicals and are often sent home thinking clearly, at peace, and without hallucinations. This is the proper application for psychiatric medications.…

I came to Haiti with a general plan – to get supplies and to offer my surgical skills, knowing there would be crushed limbs requiring debridement, fixation, or amputation. Immediately after the quake, I contacted a close friend in Florida who hooked me up with Dr. Bernard Nau, an orthopedic surgeon from Haiti, who was stationed at CDTI/Sacred Heart Hospital in Port Au Prince. He was overwhelmed. He needed to get his operating rooms up and running.

Nature stomped this place like so many heavy boots on sand castles. When I first arrived, everything looked surreal, unlike anything I’d ever imagined. These pictures I’ve shared with you . . . this war zone captured on my I-phone. Utter destruction. No water or electricity. The Haitian people – unfailingly kind, dignified, and grateful. The task is so huge, it would be very, very easy to fall into hopelessness.

The city is coming to life now. The landscape is dotted with tents and crowded lines, families…

Photographs of broken bodies, makeshift tents, and anxious crowds are poignant, but this sight moved me in a different and powerful way. Notice the symbol of hope and love on the foreground of utter destruction. The mute colors, the diffuse light, the wonder of that which has remained intact and will always remain so, is an apt symbol of hope and peace for the Haitian people. Regardless of one’s faith or the direction of their intellectual energy, this picture can’t help but move the soul. My…

Good Morning from Port-au-Prince . . .
Thanks for all your prayers, positive thoughts, and donations . . . it’s nice to know what having friends is all about. You’re pulling through for me, helping me get this work in high gear so the good people of Haiti can take another step in putting their lives back together.
I had a much better night last night, was able to find a place to sleep that had an actual pillow. Mosquitos have been pretty aggressive, but the current events make the possibility of malaria…

Just spent a night under the stars in downtown Port-au-Prince listening to fighter planes taking off every half-hour. After a while, you hardly notice them. The helicopters and cargo planes are a different story. Those things are loud!

Slept a couple of hours and enjoyed a delicious power bar for breakfast. There’s no electricity, running water or plumbing. Glad I brought my Hi-Karate cologne, if you catch my drift . . . Wouldn’t miss this for the world.